Apparatus for practising golf

ABSTRACT

The disclosure is concerned with apparatus for providing driving practice for golfers. The apparatus has a tripod frame in the form of a substantially inverted V-shaped yoke the arms of the V forming two legs of the tripod. The third leg of the tripod is pivoted to the top of the yoke and extends beyond the plane of the yoke as a supporting arm from which a golf ball is suspended at the end of a cord. The lower end of each leg includes a bushing through which a spike may be inserted to anchor the frame to the ground. An L-shaped spike is used to anchor the third leg in position and the laterally extending part of this spike includes another bushing through which another ground anchoring spike may be inserted in nonparallel relation to the L-shaped spike. The ball supporting cord is secured to the supporting arm through a bushing of low friction material having an outer concave end face.

United States Patent inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Priority APPARATUS FOR PRACTISING GOLF 8 Claims,2 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl

248/431, 248/188.8 Int. Cl. A63}: 69/36.

FieldofSearch 183 C, 184 B, 185 C, 185 D,186B,l97, 198,196, 95 A,26R,185R References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,956,452 4/1934 Merritt etal Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo Atl0rney-Holcombe, Wetherill &Brisebois ABSTRACT: The disclosure is concerned with apparatus forproviding driving practice for golfers. The apparatus has a tripod framein the form of a substantially inverted V-shaped yoke the arms of the Vforming two legs of the tripod. The third leg of the tripod is pivotedto the top of the yoke and extends beyond the plane of the yoke as asupporting arm from which a golf ball is suspended at the end of a cord.The lower end of each leg includes a bushing through which a spike maybe inserted to anchor the frame to the ground. An L-shaped spike is usedto anchor the third leg in position and the laterally extending part ofthis spike includes another bushing through which another groundanchoring spike may be inserted in nonparallel relation to the L-shapedspike. The ball supporting cord is secured to the supporting arm througha bushing of low friction material having an outer concave end face.

APPARATUS FOR PRACTISING GOLF This invention relates to apparatus forproviding driving practice for golfers and, in accordance with theinvention, such apparatus comprises a tripod frame in the form of asubstantially inverted V-shaped yoke the arms of the V forming two legsof the tripod, and a third leg which is coupled to the top of the yokeand extends beyond the plane of the yoke as a supporting arm from whicha golf ball is suspended at the end of a cord.

Preferably, the end of the arm curves forwardly and downwardly and isprovided at its outward extremity with a bush, made ofa low frictionmaterial such as Tufnol, through which the cord passes.

If the coupling between the third leg and the yoke is a pivotal couplingthe third leg can be swung into or adjacent and parallel to the plane ofthe yoke to reduce the overall dimensions, for storage and packing.

The frame may be arranged to be rigidly fixed to the ground by means ofintegral bushes through which spikes can be driven into the ground.There should be at least one of these bushes at the bottom of each ofthe three legs of the tripod. The spikes may be secured in the bushesby, for example, screw-threaded studs carrying wing nuts which screwthrough the walls of the bushes to clamp the spikes in the bushes. Inorder to secure at least the third leg of the tripod more rigidly in theground, a double fixing can be provided by arranging for a spike whichpasses into the ground through a bush at the bottom of one leg to beL-shaped, with a further bush at the free end of the laterally extendingarm of the L through which a further spike can be driven into the groundin a direction not parallel to that in which the first spike is driveninto the ground.

One example of apparatus constructed in accordance with the presentinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus open for use; and,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus folded for storage.

The tripod frame is formed by an inverted V-shaped plastic coatedtubular steel yoke having legs 3 and 4 and a plastic coated tubularsteel leg 5 which is pivotally connected to the top of the yoke by meansof a bolt and wing nut 6 which extends through a bracket 7 embracing thearm 5. The pivot allows the apparatus to fold to the FIG. 2 position.The upper endof the leg 5 forms the supporting arm which is curved overand provided with a transverse tubular portion 8 through which a Tufnolbush 9 passes and is secured in position by means of a push-on springwasher !0. The head of the bush 9 has a frustoconical concave face whichprovides a fairlead for a cord 11 which extends through the bush and issecured by a self-knot 12 at the back of the bush. A golf ball 13 issuspended from the lower end of the cord 11. The height of the ball canbe adjusted by remaking the knot 12.

The lower ends ofthe legs 3 and 4 of the yoke are rigidly interconnectedby means ofa brace 14 welded to the lower ends of the legs.

Welded to the lower ends of the'legs 3, 4 and 5 are bushes 15 providedwith clamping studs with rigid wing nuts 16. The apparatus is arrangedto be secured to the ground in the open position of FIG. 1 by means ofspikes driven through the bushes l5 and clamped in position by means ofthe studs and nuts 16. One such spike 17 is illustrated in FIG. 1extending through the bush 15 attached to the bottom of the leg 5. Inorder to provide additional security for the fixing in the ground, afurther bush 18 may be welded to the end ofa bent arm 19 of the spike17, the bush 18 having its axis nonparallel to that of the main part ofthe spike l7 and hence to that of the corresponding bush 15. A furtherspike 20 may then be driven into the ground through the bush l8 andsecured by means of a further stud and wing nut 16. The two spikes 17and 20 then together prevent the withdrawal of the end of the arm 5 onthe grrmiltd parallel to the axis ofeither one of the two spikes.

c arm:

1. Apparatus for providing driving practice for golfers, said apparatuscomprising a tripod frame with three legs, two of said legs being formedby the arms of a substantially inverted V-shaped yoke and means couplingthe third of said legs to the top of said yoke, an extension of saidthird leg extending beyond the plane of said yoke to provide asupporting arm, a cord suspended from said arm, and a golf ball mountedat the bottom of said cord.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said arm extension curvesforwardly and downwardly and a bush is provided at the outer extremityof said arm extension, said cord passing through said bush.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bush is made of a lowfriction material and an outer end face of said bush in concave toprovide a fair lead for said cord.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means pivotallycouples said third leg to said yoke whereby said third leg can be swunginto or adjacent and parallel to the plane of said yoke.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said frame is provided withintegral fixing bushes and a number of spikes adapted to be driven intothe ground through said fixing bushes to rigidly fix said frame to theground.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein there is a fixing bush at thebottom of each of said three legs.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said fixingbushes is provided with an L-shaped spike having a laterally extendingarm provided with a further fixing bush the axis of which is notparallel to a main part of said spike and a further spike is providedfor driving into the ground through said further fixing bush.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of said fixing bushes isprovided with a screw threaded stud which screws through the wall ofsaid bush to clamp a spike in said bush.

1. Apparatus for providing driving practice for golfers, said apparatuscomprising a tripod frame with three legs, two of said legs being formedby the arms of a substantially inverted Vshaped yoke and means couplingthe third of said legs to the top of said yoke, an extension of saidthird leg extending beyond the plane of said yoke to provide asupporting arm, a cord suspended from said arm, and a golf ball mountedat the bottom of said cord.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, whereinsaid arm extension curves forwardly and downwardly and a bush isprovided at the outer extremity of said arm extension, said cord passingthrough said bush.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bushis made of a low friction material and an outer end face of said bush inconcave to provide a fair lead for said cord.
 4. Apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein said coupling means pivotally couples said third leg tosaid yoke whereby said third leg can be swung into or adjacent andparallel to the plane of said yoke.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1,wherein said frame is provided with integral fixing bushes and a numberof spikes adapted to be driven into the ground through said fixingbushes to rigidly fix said frame to the ground.
 6. Apparatus accordingto claim 5, wherein there is a fixing bush at the bottom of each of saidthree legs.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least one ofsaid fixing bushes is provided with an L-shaped spike having a laterallyextending arm provided with a further fixing bush the axis of which isnot parallel to a main part of said spike and a further spike isprovided for driving into the ground through said further fixing bush.8. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of said fixing bushes isprovided with a screw threaded stud which screws through the wall ofsaid bush to clamp a spike in said bush.